Toshiba and Sony are both getting in the game of consumer-level 4K TV sets.
The two companies are displaying 84-inch monsters at the IFA trade show in Europe this week, as reported by Engadget. Sony’s model, the XBR-84X900, even supports 3D playback as well, so if you’re interested you better be prepared for those migraines.
4K, sometimes referred to as UD or “ultra definition,” is the next generation of high-definition, offering resolutions that are nearly four times greater than current 1080p technology.
In addition to the new offerings from Sony and Toshiba, other companies including LG and ViewSonic also offer 4K TVs for the consumer level, but their prices are in the tens of thousands of dollars.
The problem, of course, is that there are very few sources of content for this newest advancement in TV technology. Aside from very specialized pieces of content or equipment, the only real draw for these sets is the ability to upscale 1080p media, and of course the promise that more content will be on the way soon.
Before being ushered into the consumer market, 4K displays have been used primarily for commercial purposes, whether it’s digital in-store displays or advertisements at various venues.
This appears to have the same track that HD and glasses-free 3D displays had, so it is no doubt just a question of time before 4K becomes the new home entertainment standard.
